Rate My Professor John Drummond

John Drummond is Emeritus Professor of Music and held the position of Blair Professor of Music from 1976 to 2014 in the School of Performing Arts, Humanities Division, at the University of Otago. He obtained a BA (Hons) First Class and BMus from the University of Leeds, and a PhD from the University of Birmingham. His early career included serving as Haywood Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham in 1969 and as Lecturer in Music there from 1970 to 1976. During his tenure at Otago, Drummond took on significant administrative roles, including Dean of the School of Language, Literature and Performing Arts from 2002 to 2006, Associate Dean (Academic) in the Division of Humanities from 2006 to 2009, and Humanities Ambassador from 2010 to 2011. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Leeds in 1995, the University of Washington School of Music in 2009, Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Malmö Conservatory of Music, and Dartington College of Arts.

A prominent musicologist, composer, opera historian, and music educator, John Drummond has made substantial contributions to his field. His key publications include the book Opera in Perspective (1980) and the article 'Re-thinking Western Art Music: a perspective shift for music educators' in the International Journal of Music Education (2010). He edited William Shield's Rosina for Musica Britannica (1998) and contributed to the reconstruction of Mozart's Zaide (1988). As a composer, he produced numerous works, including full-length operas such as Plague Upon Eyam, The Birds, The Stars in Orion, and Larnach; the oratorio The Journey Home (2012); and various salon operas, song cycles, choral pieces, and instrumental compositions. Drummond served as President of the New Zealand Society for Music Education from 1989 to 1999, receiving life membership for his service. His work has advanced music education, opera production, and scholarly editions in New Zealand and internationally.